Write a letter to the railway authorities bringing to their attention the danger posed by unmanned railway crossing citing
Write a letter to the railway authorities bringing to their attention the danger posed by unmanned railway crossing citing
Ashish Mehra
10, Govind Puri,
Hapur
July 10, 2019
The General Manager
Northern Railways
Delhi
Subject : UNMANNED RAILWAY CROSSINGS
Sir,
There are numberless unmanned railway crossings in the country. But some of them are prone to serious accidents. You must have read about the recent two tragic accidents involving a truck and a Maruti gypsy with in a span of one month. No doubt, in both the cases the drivers of these vehicles were respon¬sible. Yet the railway authorities cannot absolve themselves from their respon¬sibility.
On 1st April a truck collided with Sangam express at Hapur Garh Road railway crossing. It was 7 p.m. and driver should have been well aware of the coming of the train. He took the risk of speeding past the train. Unfortunately the truck banged into the railway engine and was reduced to splinters in no time. Both the truck driver and the conductor lost their lives. Their bodies were mutilated beyond recognition.
In a similar accident, on 25th April, there was a collision involving Maruti. This time the car struck against Nauchandi Express killing its driver. It was about 8 p.m. and the lights must be blazing. Obviously the driver was aware of the approaching train. He committed the similar folly of thinking that he would speed ahead of the coming train. This time Maruti was thrown up in the air and fell with a loud bang. The driver was crushed to death in an instant.
Such accidents are very common. When contacted the Station Master told the reporter that the responsibility for constructing motorable roads lies with the Public Works Department. They should have consulted the railway authorities before making roads that cross the railway lines. This did not appear to be convincing answer. However, unmanned crossings are hazardous even for pedestrians. The govt, must take concrete steps to help check the avoidable loss of life and material.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Ashish Mehra